Cassis on the French Riviera

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Cassis, France. Absolutely one of my favorite French Riviera towns. Additionally, we visited La Ciotat which was gorgeous and just 30 minutes away was Cassis. A harbor town that was famous for blackberry schnapps and lots of hiking trails in the Calanques National Park. It was a really relaxing weekend with a little bit of touring.

Walking around the town of Cassis

DAY TRIP from La Ciotat or from Marseilles – you will easily see busses and cars making their way down the coast from Marseilles. We traveled up the coast from La Ciotat. It is an amazing drive with forests, rocky roads and tight turns… be on the look-out.
Park at Parking lot Mimosa – 9 Avenue Augustin Isnard, 13260 Cassis, France
- It is a bit expensive but so are all the parking lots or spaces in Cassis. This tourist destination knows what they have here and price accordingly. For our 4.5 hours, it was €22
- The covered lit parking lot was easy to access to the old town and harbor and felt safe.

Lots to do and see

The tourism office is located right on the water – you can’t miss it!
Boat excursions around the islands
- Almost as soon as you arrive in the harbor you’ll see boat tours for excursions to the islands off the coast of France. They range in price from €20-50/person for a two-three island tour

Market DAY Wednesdays and Fridays
We happened to be there on market day – it was HUGE! Tents and kiosks lined the streets of the old town. If you are planning your trip – be sure to pick one of these days as the local artisans specialized in jewelry, clothes and linens.

Beach town

Where to stay – special accommodations are the Château de Cassis –
Lots of pizzerias, biscuits and cafes and shops galore ~

Calanques National Park

The Calanques National Park is one of the prettiest national parks in Europe and is nestled all along the french riviera. The landscape juts in and out of the coast with white limestone and rocky hills making the terrain a little bit more difficult to navigate but the views of the Cote d’Azur (Blue Coast) are breathtaking and unforgettable.

Be careful DRIVING!

winding road – pull-offs everywhere – as you drive or climb this park trail you may get a little car-sick from the switchbacks
Be careful of the tissue!! EEEK! What ~ hiking in Europe can be challenging and sometimes toilets “a la fresco” are the nearest bush. When hiking around be careful of clusters of tissue – if you see this ~ it is a pOOpular spot.
Hiking around the park – favorite stops
Panoramic shots and pics – unbelievably unforgettable!

Still, want more information…Here is a little VLOG to help you plan your next french coast trip! Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel ~

If the blue waters and beach of France are calling you to consider La Ciotat and/or Cassis for a relaxing and peaceful getaway. If you’d like to add a little activity to your trip try a hike or boat ride around the bay ~